Alumni Honored with Frank H.T. Rhodes Awards
By Sheyna Horowitz '99
As in past years, the 2009 Frank H. T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award winners are a distinguished group with long records of professional and personal accomplishments. But beyond the tangible list of leadership positions and volunteer roles, there are also the more intangible qualities that merit recognition. These alumni are distinguished by compassion, sensibility, and kindness; they are loyal, conscientious, and wise. Cornell has benefited not only from their hard work and dedication, but also from their honorable character. The University is truly a better place because of their altruism and heart-felt commitment
Elizabeth Schlamm Eddy '42 fondly recalls her first chimes concert at the start of orientation. Her enchantment with Cornell began at that moment and remains steadfast to this day. Her memories of student life are crystal clear— she can still recollect the 9:30 p.m. weekday curfew and the view of Libe Tower from her freshman dorm. Elizabeth actively contributed to the Daily Sun and the Widow, Cornell's humor magazine. This experience enabled her post-graduation success as a copywriter—and eventually a senior executive—in the advertising industry. Given her fast-track career, it is no wonder that Elizabeth is also a high-powered volunteer. From graduation to her 65th Reunion, she has been a steadfast and ambitious class officer, assuming various positions from the likely role of class correspondent to treasurer and president. Despite the fact she married a Yale graduate, Elizabeth's affections for Cornell are unmistakable.
At their recent fiftieth wedding anniversary, Joe Henninger '56, MBA '58, and Sue DeRosay Henninger '57 were asked if they had a particularly special or meaningful song that spanned the decades. Without hesitation they responded: Cornell's Alma Mater. Joe and Sue are the quintessential Cornell couple. They met at Joe's fraternity, where Sue was later pinned an honorary Sigma Chi "sweetheart." Their wedding reception was at the Statler Hotel. And since then, Cornell has played a huge part in their lives. Members of the Continuous Reunion Club and frequent world travelers with Cornell's Adult University, Joe and Sue take full advantage of alumni activities.
In return, they are tremendous advocates for alumni affairs, volunteering as class officers, fundraising for reunion campaigns, interviewing for Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN), and consulting as life-long members of Cornell University Council (CUC). Perhaps their greatest contribution has been to the regional club of Akron (the Cornell Club of Northeastern Ohio), where Joe and Sue successfully revitalized the alumni community.
Jack Krieger '49 says that he is undeniably "wrapped up in Cornellians and Cornell." It is true that his life has been much intertwined—often serendipitously—with people and places connected to the Hill. A classic example is the story of Jack's first job. While serving on assignment as field secretary for his class, he met famed golf course designer Robert Trent Jones. This opportune contact served him quite well; he was later asked to join Jones's staff to work on special projects. Jack believes that staying involved in Cornell pays back twofold and, as such, he has been an active Big Red enthusiast since graduation. His record of volunteer activities is almost too long to list, ranging from reunion chair to class president, from chairman of the trustee nomination committee to publisher of the alumni magazine. Given his school spirit, it is no surprise that Jack's favorite alumni event was the 100th anniversary of the Cornell-Penn football rivalry, commemorated in 1993. Jack currently resides in Ithaca, so things have truly come full circle.
Although Barton Mills '64 and Nancy Dunhoff Mills '64 are journalists living in Southern California, their roots can be traced back to the Daily Sun. They had many defining moments as editors of the newspaper, including the day of Kennedy's assassination in November 1963 when the Sun printed its first-ever Saturday edition. Although they moved frequently after graduation, staying involved with alumni affairs was one constant. Now settled in Los Angeles, they are active leaders. Nancy helps orchestrate Cornell in Hollywood, a program designed to connect aspiring students with professionals in the entertainment industry. Meanwhile, Bart serves as head of CAAAN, ensuring a strong pipeline of prospective students from the West Coast. Bart and Nancy encourage young alumni to become involved with their local Cornell Club, as it's the best to stay connected to Ithaca.
Harold Tanner '52 has always been struck by the way Cornell alumni demonstrate a much larger passion for their alma mater than graduates from peer institutions. Harold himself surely qualifies as a zealous alumnus who has served the University tirelessly for decades. It wasn't until several years after graduation—after serving in the U.S. Navy and embarking on a career in investment banking—that Harold was persuaded to attend an alumni event. He's been hooked ever since and has served as a member of the major gifts committee for his 25th Reunion, 30th Reunion chair, co-chair of the capital campaign from 1989-95, a member of CUC. . . . His Cornell volunteer resume is a lengthy list of leadership positions executed to perfection. Harold's self-proclaimed favorite was his five-year stint as chairman of the board, where he witnessed first-hand the self-lessness and dedication of Cornell trustees. Harold is pleased to see the increased diversity on campus as Cornell truly becomes a global institution.
Excellence is the first word that comes to mind when Steven Laden '57, ME '58, reflects on Cornell. The distinct student body and faculty, the superior academics, the abundance of student activities—and most important, the ever-present alumni community— are all facets of Cornell's excellence. Steve has volunteered on numerous development campaigns over the years in support of his favorite landmarks: the Plantations and Uris Library. A lifetime member of CUC, Steve visits Ithaca every fall to enjoy a football game and take stock of the growing campus, where he continues to be in awe of the natural beauty. Steve's annual trips are also fond reminders of his days on the Hill, where he was an active participant in sports, student government, and Greek life. His favorite memory is of the processional march on graduation morning, during which he proudly walked among cherished friends. It was, in a word, excellent.
Sheyna Horowitz is president of the Class of '99 and a member of the Cornell Alumni Federation Communications Committee.
London Bridges
Alumni Event Brings Hundreds to British Museum
In March, Cornell hosted what was perhaps its largest alumni event outside of the United States. Organized by the Johnson Graduate School of Management in coordination with Alumni Affairs staff and London alumni leaders, the reception at the British Museum attracted nearly 400 people. This wonderful event in a beautiful venue was made possible by the generosity of Vahid Alaghband '74, ME '75, and his family, who are corporate sponsors of a special exhibit at the museum.
Other attendees included trustee Lubna Olayan '77 and husband John Xefos '76, trustee Martin Tang '70 and son Christopher Tang '07, and alumni of nearly every college and professional school at Cornell. Following an update on the Johnson School and Cornell and remarks by JGSM Dean L. Joseph Thomas, Mr. Alaghband, and museum curator Sheila Canby, guests were invited to take private tours of the Shah Abbas exhibit on Iranian history. The event was a great way for the Johnson School and its club in London to bring together Cornellians in Great Britain.
— Corey Earle '07
Social Networking
Using Sites Like Facebook to Boost Class Spirit
This spring, forty class and club volunteer leaders participated in the first of a series of teleseminars designed to help them share best practices and learn new techniques for engaging their fellow Cornellians. The seminar featured Howard Greenstein '88, president of the Harbrooke Group, a consulting firm that specializes in helping companies communicate with customers using Web technologies.
To explain social media and networking, Mr. Greenstein (also his class vice president and webmaster) used an online format that allowed participants to hear his presentation, view slides, and share questions or comments. The bulk of the session focused on Facebook, the second-most-trafficked social media site in the world. Six percent of all online time in the U.S. is spent on Facebook— no wonder so many of our alumni are interested in learning to use this tool!
For those of you who missed it, here are a few of the tips Howard shared:
When creating an alumni Facebook group, have a specific purpose (such as event advertising, discussion groups, or networking) so you can measure your results and know whether to continue spending time cultivating members.
Populate your group before you advertise and seed a few "super users" to post videos, pictures, and comments so people feel encouraged to participate.
If another group has already set up an "unofficial" page for your group, your best bet is to complement them and ask to partner. If they won't answer, join their group and post your news or events.
To find an existing group on Face-book, search as you would on Google and see what comes up—for example, "Cornell alumni class of 1992."
If you feel intimidated by these networks, ask younger class members to mentor you and start your group with just a few trusted friends. (Alumni Affairs is working on a list of "super Facebook users"—stay tuned.)
Flickr.com is a great photo-sharing site. You can set up groups and ask volunteer photographers to assign specific "tags" to their pictures so they're easily searchable; for example, "Cornell Reunion 2009" or "Class of '79."
Mr. Greenstein also discussed how Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and other sites will tie into the fall launch of CornellConnect, a Web-based tool that will include a social networking component. From an Alumni Affairs perspective, we feel that however alumni want to connect, so be it! The main benefits of CornellConnect are the exclusive online directory, the career networking suite, and the online events registration and management tools. (If you'd like to be notified of CornellConnect launch updates, please e-mail kim.barrett@ cornell.edu.)
Finally, a round of applause for Mr. Greenstein, who graciously donated his time and talent to lead this call. To view the slides from his presentation, visit www.slideshare.net/howardgr/cornell-clubs-and-groups-presentation.